acted polite and a bit kind, but his eyes were empty. There was no happiness in them, or any sort of contentment. I saw only greed.”
Blaze nodded in agreement. He’d noticed this as well, “The thing about outsiders, Sunbeam, is that they don’t believe in Valde Abbas.”
Sunbeam only looked mildly surprised at this, “Yes, that makes sense. Without Valde Abbas, there can be no happiness. If they truly do not know our creator, how could they be content? They would naturally search their entire lives for something that could make them happy, but they’d never find it. Only Valde Abbas can grant you true, everlasting happiness.”
Sunbeam’s words sparked Blaze’s interest, and brought a question to his mind that he had been pondering for quite some time, “Sunbeam, are evil creatures allowed into Valde Abbas’ castle?”
A shiver ran through Sunbeam’s body, and a fearful look could be seen in her eyes. She looked at Blaze, warily, “No,” she told him, “but we don’t like to talk about the other place.”
“Other place?” Blaze parroted, “You mean there’s another place creatures can go when they die?”
Sunbeam nodded, slowly, “Do you really not know?” she asked. Blaze shook his head, “Then I suppose I had better tell you. Come with me, I don’t want the others to hear me talking about it.”
Blaze’s curiosity was piqued. Following Sunbeam away from the Common’s Tree, they stood together in the shadow of the night, “The place is called Helm,” Sunbeam whispered to him, “and it is a terrible place. After the Dragon revolted against Valde Abbas, the creator built an immense dungeon below his castle. It is filled with all the most horrible things you can imagine, and many that you can not. Valde Abbas also created Helm so that once you enter, you can never leave. It was to be where the Dragon would be kept once he was defeated.”
“So it was made for the Dragon, then.” Blaze acknowledged, “Why would all the evil creatures on earth have to go there too?”
“Because,” Sunbeam continued, “Valde Abbas can not stand evil. It revolts him. If a creature comes into his castle, and is tainted by evil, Valde Abbas will have no choice but to cast that creature into Helm.”
Blaze’s eyes widened in horror, “But you told me before that every creature is tainted by evil! Does that mean that nobody can enter the castle?”
Sunbeam shook her head, “No, because Valde Abbas is willing to forgive us for the evil acts we commit. If we ask him to forgive us, he will, and our transgressions will no longer matter. It is those who do not accept his forgiveness that are cast into Helm, never to return.”
Now Blaze shivered as well. If Sunbeam’s words were even half true, Helm’s terribleness was far beyond comprehension. To be cast in there, and never be allowed to leave. It was unthinkable, especially when the creature would know just how close he was to Valde Abbas’ castle.
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” Sunbeam said, and walked away.
There and then, without a word, Blaze bowed his head and began to speak to Valde Abbas, “I know I haven’t known about you for very long, and that I probably don’t deserve it, but I’m sorry for all the wrong things I’ve done in my life. Would you please forgive me?”
Though he heard nothing in return, it immediately felt as if a terrible burden had been lifted from Blaze’s heart, and he knew that Valde Abbas had, indeed, forgiven him.
Chapter S eventeen
The time draws near.
Startled, Blaze raised his head, but saw no one. The ground he lay on was gray and hard. It stretched on for what seemed like eternity into the distance, until it met the black night sky. An eerie silence hung over the dismal scene, without even a breeze to disturb the stillness. It was cold, but not uncomfortably so. Blaze’s mind was not on his surroundings,
Blaze nodded in agreement. He’d noticed this as well, “The thing about outsiders, Sunbeam, is that they don’t believe in Valde Abbas.”
Sunbeam only looked mildly surprised at this, “Yes, that makes sense. Without Valde Abbas, there can be no happiness. If they truly do not know our creator, how could they be content? They would naturally search their entire lives for something that could make them happy, but they’d never find it. Only Valde Abbas can grant you true, everlasting happiness.”
Sunbeam’s words sparked Blaze’s interest, and brought a question to his mind that he had been pondering for quite some time, “Sunbeam, are evil creatures allowed into Valde Abbas’ castle?”
A shiver ran through Sunbeam’s body, and a fearful look could be seen in her eyes. She looked at Blaze, warily, “No,” she told him, “but we don’t like to talk about the other place.”
“Other place?” Blaze parroted, “You mean there’s another place creatures can go when they die?”
Sunbeam nodded, slowly, “Do you really not know?” she asked. Blaze shook his head, “Then I suppose I had better tell you. Come with me, I don’t want the others to hear me talking about it.”
Blaze’s curiosity was piqued. Following Sunbeam away from the Common’s Tree, they stood together in the shadow of the night, “The place is called Helm,” Sunbeam whispered to him, “and it is a terrible place. After the Dragon revolted against Valde Abbas, the creator built an immense dungeon below his castle. It is filled with all the most horrible things you can imagine, and many that you can not. Valde Abbas also created Helm so that once you enter, you can never leave. It was to be where the Dragon would be kept once he was defeated.”
“So it was made for the Dragon, then.” Blaze acknowledged, “Why would all the evil creatures on earth have to go there too?”
“Because,” Sunbeam continued, “Valde Abbas can not stand evil. It revolts him. If a creature comes into his castle, and is tainted by evil, Valde Abbas will have no choice but to cast that creature into Helm.”
Blaze’s eyes widened in horror, “But you told me before that every creature is tainted by evil! Does that mean that nobody can enter the castle?”
Sunbeam shook her head, “No, because Valde Abbas is willing to forgive us for the evil acts we commit. If we ask him to forgive us, he will, and our transgressions will no longer matter. It is those who do not accept his forgiveness that are cast into Helm, never to return.”
Now Blaze shivered as well. If Sunbeam’s words were even half true, Helm’s terribleness was far beyond comprehension. To be cast in there, and never be allowed to leave. It was unthinkable, especially when the creature would know just how close he was to Valde Abbas’ castle.
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” Sunbeam said, and walked away.
There and then, without a word, Blaze bowed his head and began to speak to Valde Abbas, “I know I haven’t known about you for very long, and that I probably don’t deserve it, but I’m sorry for all the wrong things I’ve done in my life. Would you please forgive me?”
Though he heard nothing in return, it immediately felt as if a terrible burden had been lifted from Blaze’s heart, and he knew that Valde Abbas had, indeed, forgiven him.
Chapter S eventeen
The time draws near.
Startled, Blaze raised his head, but saw no one. The ground he lay on was gray and hard. It stretched on for what seemed like eternity into the distance, until it met the black night sky. An eerie silence hung over the dismal scene, without even a breeze to disturb the stillness. It was cold, but not uncomfortably so. Blaze’s mind was not on his surroundings,